APPLICATIONS:
MOET 97, MS Market, RideShare -- Microsoft Corp. is well known
for Windows and Windows-based systems like Office Suite, Visual InterDev
and Internet Explorer. But the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant's I/S
unit has also developed a number of internal applications that have turned
some heads. Application Development Trends is recognizing three of Microsoft's
innovative business applications: RideShare, Moet 97 and MS Market.
Of the three, Moet 97 arguably has the biggest impact on Microsoft's
bottom line and its relationship with OEM vendors. Moet 97 is an Internet-based
electronic commerce system that supports the order process between Microsoft's
business partners and its Worldwide Operations organization. Moet 97 allows
remote vendors from around the world to enter product orders directly
into Microsoft's EDI system via the Internet, said James Dunkelberger,
program manager for the Moet project.
In late 1995, a plan was developed to build an electronic commerce system
that could serve business partners around the globe.
During the spring of 1996, a 10-member team began programming the system
using Microsoft's fledgling Internet software. The project took nearly
nine months because the technology was so new to the developers.
The system went live in January 1997 and over the past year has expanded
to all parts of the world except for North America, which still utilizes
the original EDI system. Dunkelberger said Microsoft handled approximately
32,000 distinct transactions, worth around $400 million during February
1998, alone. Roughly 700 partner companies use the system.
MS Market is Microsoft's internal E-commerce system for procurement of
everything from paper and pencils to business cards to catering services.
Two years ago, prior to MS Market's implementation, paper and pencil handled
the internal procurement process, a manual and non-cost efficient method.
A team of nine, at peak project time, lead by Dale Christian, Microsoft's
director of corporate procurement information technology, moved the procurement
to the corporate Intranet in an effort to save the company money and centralize
ordering. The goal was to increase transaction velocity, decrease total
procurement costs, enable better supplier relationships and to provide
an interface to Microsoft's SAP R/3 corporate financial system. The project's
initial sponsor, Chief Financial Officer Gregory Maffei, wanted tighter
integration between R/3 and internal procurement.
RideShare: With over 20,000 employees in the greater Seattle area, Microsoft
has faced some pressure by local authorities to implement a more effective
car pooling solution to help cut down on pollution and traffic congestion.
At stake could be new building permits or even fines, according to Lisa
Wilson, a senior manager in the advances systems group at Microsoft.
Wilson oversaw the project team of three to five people that built a
car pool management system on the corporate Intranet.
Once the system rolled out last August, the number of people car pooling
increased dramatically. Also, the local county government has been interested
in purchasing the system and rolling it out to all big corporations in
the Seattle area, Wilson said.
- Jason J. Meserve
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